Dr. Deborah Flores

Dr. Deborah Flores has been the Superintendent of the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) since July 2007. She is the longest serving superintendent in Santa Clara County as of the 2015-16 school year. Prior to coming to GUSD, Dr. Flores was superintendent in the Lucia Mar Unified School District in San Luis Obispo County for three years. She also worked in the Santa Barbara School District for 15 years where she was Assistant Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and then Superintendent for almost 5 years. She has been a superintendent for 16 years and has worked in public schools for almost 40 years.

Dr. Flores began her career as a special education teacher in 1975 and middle school summer migrant education teacher. Beginning in 1980, she has filled a number of administrative positions at the site level, district office and in special education.

Dr. Flores has served on numerous committees during her career. Currently, she is a member of the CalSoap Board (past president and vice president), the SELPA Executive Council (past president and vice president), Gilroy Chamber Business Education Committee (past chair) and has been a member of Gilroy Rotary since 2008.

Dr. Flores earned her Ph.D in Educational Administration from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1996) and her Masters in Education (1978) and Bachelors in Education (1975) from the University of Massachusetts.

Various awards have been bestowed on Dr. Flores throughout her career. Her favorites are: 1979 Teacher of the Year (Amherst-Pelham School District, Mass.), Riverside County Woman of Achievement (1989) and ACSA Central Office Administrator of the Year (1999).

Dr. Flores has been married for over 40 years to George Flores, a middle school science teacher in Morgan Hill Unified School District (since 2007). George has been selected as Educator of the Year by both the Carpinteria and Morgan Hill Chambers of Commerce. George is a serious cyclist and Debbie regularly joins him for rides. She is also a serious runner who has run many races during 40+ years of running from the mile to the marathon. Their son Julian is a college-bound senior at Gilroy High School who is enrolled in the BioScience Academy (taking two high level science courses and a high level math class all four years), has played three sports (cross country, baseball and water polo), is a member of ASB and a Link Crew mentor. The family loves skiing, backpacking and hiking together.